SOUTHAMPTON are lining up a move for QPR striker Charlie Austin at the end of the season.

Ronald Koeman wants to bolster his side's strike force in the summer and have targeted £8million-rated Austin.

Saints will move for Austin whether QPR are relegated from the Premier League or not, with the striker stalling on the £60,000-a-week contract he has been offered by the Loftus Road club.

Austin, 25, has scored 15 goals this season and is a key player for a QPR side who sit two places off the bottom of the Premier League with just 22 points from 28 games.

The striker has 16 months left on his current deal has indicated he will not make a decision on his future until the end of the season.

We will be doing our best to make sure we give him the opportunity to stay and play in the Premier League

Les Ferdinand

QPR director of football Les Ferdinand said: "We will be trying our best come the end of the season to make sure Charlie signs up and stays, but we understand that players are ambitious. Sometimes they want to look elsewhere.

"We will be doing our best to make sure we give him the opportunity to stay and play in the Premier League.

"The aim is to replenish the squad and we don't want to be losing our best players like Charlie."

Austin, tipped to be named in Roy Hogdson's England squad next week, had a prolific spell on the South Coast earlier in his career at non-League Poole Town.